Chapter Forty-Five: Simple Methods

A few days had passed since the paint was finished, and the various bowls, dishes, and condiments had all been prepared. Truth be told, the little cart, now ready to be rolled out, looked quite striking: a bamboo grove rendered in three dimensions, and the five characters spelling “Bamboo Brand Preserved Egg.” Whether or not the preserved eggs could fetch twenty copper coins each seemed to depend on this very moment. Of course, though Nie Yunzhu presented herself as full of confidence before Ning Yi, she probably didn’t quite believe it in her heart. Ning Yi understood this well enough, but since the outcome was still uncertain, there was no need to explain too much—better to wait and see the results after taking action.

The next step was to persuade the local restaurants to accept Nie Yunzhu’s preserved eggs on consignment, and that was her task. In fact, the matter was simple enough; if they refused to let her deliver the eggs, then have them come to pick them up instead. Once a business has a monopoly, there are many ways to get it started.

That afternoon, Ning Yi took a leave of absence from Su Chonghua, saying he would arrive late for the next few mornings and asked for someone to supervise the students’ reading. After all, the first hour was mostly spent with the students reciting and memorizing texts, and his presence wasn’t particularly necessary.

By late February in Jiangning, the willows were budding and the grass was growing—the very picture of spring. New shoots sprouted lush and green on the branches, willow catkins drifted through the air, and in the early morning, one could hear birds singing along the streets. There was still a slight chill in the breeze, but the scholars and literati were already up early. Many would call upon friends and go boating on the Qinhuai River in the morning. The distant sound of music would float over from the painted barges, and through the drifting willow catkins, the scene was imbued with an air of literary elegance.

As the sun rose, Ning Yi walked through the streets of Jiangning. Though it was his first spring in the city, he was already accustomed to the ancient atmosphere as the catkins drifted down. With the arrival of spring, more people crowded the roads: merchants from all directions, scholars with their bundles, and occasionally the rough figures of escorts and martial artists—though one could hardly tell who among them truly had skills. A chubby child teased a dog at the roadside, making faces until the dog was provoked into a frenzy, barking and chasing the boy until he tumbled into the river. The child swam a fair distance before turning back to make faces again, while his mother, hands on hips, shouted at him from the bank.

Nie Yunzhu’s food stall was a few streets away. Today was its first day out, and though the two had spoken in the morning, Ning Yi wasn’t going to see how impressive the cart looked. His purpose was to visit the nearby restaurants. Halfway there, he ran into Li Pin, who was likely on his way to the academy.

“Liheng.” After a month as colleagues, Li Pin had gotten used to attending Ning Yi’s storytelling sessions every morning. Seeing him not headed to the academy today, he was a bit puzzled. After Ning Yi explained he had matters to attend to, Li Pin, with nothing urgent at the Yushan Academy, asked, “Would you like my help?”

“It’s just a small matter, nothing serious,” Ning Yi replied, then asked, “Do you live nearby, Brother Li?”

“Just ahead, in one of those alleys. If you have time, why not come and sit for a while? My wife has long admired your reputation and would like to meet you.”

Ning Yi politely declined, then asked, “Since you live in the area, do you know which are the best and most expensive restaurants or tea houses nearby?”

“Spring Delight Pavilion, Willow Catkin Hall, and Four Seas House are all excellent. There are a few others on the next street. I’m free at this hour—if you’d like company, I can go with you.”

Li Pin was easygoing and attentive, so Ning Yi smiled. “No need today—any expensive one will do. If you’re hungry, why not join me for breakfast? My treat.”

They headed to the most lavish restaurant on the street. It wasn’t yet the busiest time of the morning, so there were still empty tables. Ning Yi tipped the waiter a coin, who immediately became attentive and led them upstairs. Ning Yi ordered a few expensive meat porridges and pastries at random, while Li Pin asked only for a three-delicacy noodle soup.

“Do you come here often?” Ning Yi asked as he poured tea.

Li Pin smiled. “It’s pricier than elsewhere, but the food is good. I come by occasionally.”

“So, is this the busiest time for Spring Delight Pavilion?”

“Not yet. Give it another quarter of an hour and the place will be packed.”

Li Pin was clearly curious about Ning Yi’s motives for coming here, but didn’t show it. As they drank tea and chatted, the conversation drifted to trivial neighborhood matters, such as the dispute that arose when a willow tree was cut down two years ago. Time passed, and their food arrived. The restaurant filled with customers, noise rising. Ning Yi sipped his porridge, tapped the table, and signaled the waiter.

“Gentlemen, what else may I do for you?” the waiter asked.

“Two preserved eggs,” Ning Yi said.

“Preserved… eggs?” The waiter was confused.

“You don’t have them?” Ning Yi was slightly surprised, but then fished out fifty or sixty copper coins and pointed outside. “Go around the corner—there’s a stall at the street entrance with a striking cart. Buy two preserved eggs. As for condiments—vinegar and soy sauce will do; you have those here. They’re twenty coins each. Keep the rest. Go.”

He said this lightly, waving his hand, and turned to speak with Li Pin. The commanding air he’d developed in his previous life asserted itself; the waiter, though bewildered, didn’t dare argue and simply remembered to buy preserved eggs with vinegar and soy sauce. In large establishments, the rules wouldn’t allow them to refuse such simple requests, especially when the guest had tipped so generously.

Before long, the waiter returned with the preserved eggs, having apparently asked Nie Yunzhu how to serve them and even brought small dishes for the vinegar and soy sauce. Ning Yi handed one to Li Pin. “Try it. It’s new—if you’re not used to it, dip it in vinegar or soy sauce. The best part, really, is the presentation.”

The restaurant was bustling. After they finished, Ning Yi watched the lively scene and waved again. “Waiter.”

The waiter hurried over. Without looking, Ning Yi handed him more coins. “Go buy two more.” Then he turned to converse with Li Pin.

This time, the waiter hesitated. “Sir, business is really quite busy right now, I can’t really—”

Ning Yi interrupted, glancing at him with a calm expression, hands folded on the table, frowning. “Can’t?”

“N-no, I’ll find a way…”

The waiter took the money and left, soon returning with more preserved eggs. Ning Yi set them aside. When the waiter had gone, he said, “Best not to eat too many. You can take one to the academy for others to try. Would you like one?”

Li Pin laughed. “So you came here for the preserved eggs?”

“Indeed.”

“And why, exactly?”

“Nothing much—a small wager.” They had finished eating. Ning Yi smiled, tucked the eggs into his pocket, and stood up. “Let’s go, Brother Li.”

They descended to the street, now crowded with people. After a few more exchanges, Ning Yi glanced at the nearby restaurants. “I made a bet to sell at least thirty preserved eggs at twenty coins each every day for a month. Since it’s a new product, if I try to deliver directly, the restaurants won’t put it on their counters. Given their daily revenue, it’s not worth bribing the managers for the sake of selling thirty preserved eggs—they wouldn’t even care. So, the only way is to take the opposite approach. Tomorrow I’ll hire a few idlers to come here for breakfast every day. After six or seven days of this, the nearby restaurants will start buying the eggs themselves. The presentation is attractive—display one outside, twenty coins shouldn’t be a problem… By the way, are these places always so busy in the mornings?”

“Travelers come through year-round except in winter—it’s always lively,” Li Pin considered. “Thirty eggs is only six hundred coins a day. With your reputation, once the preserved eggs are known, selling more than thirty a day would be easy. Why go to such lengths?”

“The wager sets this requirement,” Ning Yi replied with a laugh. In truth, doing business often comes down to connections. With his reputation, he could simply write a poem extolling the preserved eggs or ask the Puyang family to help publicize them, and selling a few hundred would be no issue at all. But that would be no different from having Kang Xian promote them at a banquet. Kang Xian set the bar low on purpose, stipulating that Ning Yi could only use ordinary means and spend a little money to establish the preserved egg’s market.

It was a minor trick, nothing special. Li Pin thought for a while. “It’s interesting. As for hiring people, that’s unnecessary—idlers are unreliable. I know many friends who have breakfast here daily. Asking them to put on a little show is easy, and nothing will go wrong—no one will suspect a thing.”

He glanced at Ning Yi and waved his hand. “Your name won’t be revealed—I’ll remind everyone not to overdo it, just act like ordinary customers. How’s that?”

Li Pin was as renowned as Cao Guan among the literati, and his circle of friends perhaps had even more influence than Ning Yi’s. Now that he’d offered such assurances, Ning Yi nodded. “Thank you, Brother Li.”

The next morning, by the steps before the little building, Nie Yunzhu reported her results with delight. “Yesterday I sold six preserved eggs! The pancakes sold out quickly—it’s the first time I’ve ever sold all the pancakes, so Hu Tao and I are making more today. And it’s also the first time I’ve sold so many preserved eggs…” She was obviously happier about the pancakes, but seeing Ning Yi’s expression, she added, “A good beginning—once we’re well-known, selling thirty a day will be no problem.”

Ning Yi smirked and laughed along. He had never been worried about the preserved eggs’ sales. Three days later, the first restaurant asked Nie Yunzhu to deliver preserved eggs. The friends Li Pin had enlisted did their part flawlessly. Unexpectedly, this enthusiasm soon brought Nie Yunzhu some new troubles…

My schedule’s a mess again—adjusting now, and will try to update earlier today.

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